Seaweed washes up in beauty

Seaweed, which currently causes disposal problems around the coast of Japan, is increasingly finding its way into premium cosmetics. Two seaweeds, Wakame and Kombu absorb phosphorus and nitrogen and are often cultivated to purify seawater along the coast of industrial zones but must then be incinerated.

However, a new technique developed by scientists at the Universities of Shiga and Kobe enables the extraction of a compound from seaweed that is then used in luxury skin creams. The researchers found that a mixture of three kinds of microbes could break down the seaweeds and, at the same time, synthesise Ectoine, a compound used in cosmetics.

Ectoine is known to protect the skin from ultraviolet rays and dryness. However, it contributes to high cosmetic prices because it cannot be chemically synthesised. When the technology is successfully commercialised, local authorities will be able to sell spent seaweed to chemical producers. Using seaweed as a raw material for Ectoine synthesis could also help lower production costs for luxury cosmetics.